My Guide to Job Hunting Part III – Diversify Your Sources

Way back in 2010 (when this blog was still Adventures of an Unemployed/Newly Employed Librarian!) I wrote a series aimed recent graduates and unemployed librarians to help with job hunting. I thought it would be a good time to update that series for all my new readers and for any unemployed librarians out there. While this series is mainly aimed at library-related jobs, I think that everyone can find something useful here. If you missed Part I or Part II be sure to check it out.

A long time ago I posted about my top 5 library job sites (or sources), but obviously there are others. The source I used the most and found to be the most helpful was the University of Texas’s iSchool Job Board, which is unfortunately is only open to iSchool students and alumni now. I got the emails and printed out every job that looked like something I would be interested in. And then filed them in my pretty binder. 🙂 Other sources that I used, besides the ones on the afore mentioned list, include LibGig, the LIBJOBS listserv (run by IFLA), LibJobs.com, Library Journal JobZone, Higher Ed Jobs, andLISJobs. I recently discovered INALJ (I Need a Library Job) and it looks very helpful as well. If the site offered an RSS feed, listserv, or daily email digest, I signed up and had them directed to a folder in my inbox. If none of those options was available, I made it part of my routine to check the sites once a day.

The reason I subscribed and checked so many sources is because not every job gets posted all over the internet. For example, all of the jobs on ALA’s JobList ended up in a Texas iSchool email, but not the other way around. My job as a medical librarian at a community hospital was posted in our local paper (a great source for corporate/special libraries where the people doing the hiring aren’t librarians), and then later, on LibGig and MEDLIB, but not on any other site. So even though you may be seeing a lot of the same jobs being posted, you never know when you are going to run across something unique.

It’s also a good idea to check with local libraries. The branch libraries in my city have been hiring, but the jobs don’t get posted to national lists. They occasionally end up on the local library school listserv, but the posting is mainly confined to the library’s web page. So if you are interested in working in a specific area, check out the libraries’ web sites. The same goes for academic institutions, especially small and community colleges.

Knowing what I know now about job advertising and hiring practices, I recommend that you target the following areas to find new job postings:

Classic job sources (ALA JobList and others mentioned above)

Your library school’s listserv or job board

Speciality listservs (every speciality has at least one so find them and keep an eye on the postings that are coming through)

Local newspapers and location-specific HR listings (such as a city’s website)

Individual libraries and universities

What sources am I missing? What are your favorite sites to look for jobs?